34. Aurora
AURORA
We got word the eggs were ready halfway through the morning. I was in the middle of my History class when a runner came panting to the door.
“What is it?” the professor demanded, glaring at the red-faced cadet. “How dare you interrupt my class?”
“Sorry, Professor, but it’s happening!” The runner exclaimed. “Master says the eggs are hardened and the dragons have started humming. Can’t you hear them?”
As a matter of fact, I had been half-aware of a low-level humming sound for the past few minutes. But I’d been focused on taking notes and hadn’t really stopped to wonder what it was.
The rest of the class around me was already scrambling to their feet. We had all been told that we had one shot at Impression—we needed to get to the Hatching Grounds as fast as possible if we hoped to get an egg.
“All right, all right,” our professor exclaimed. “Class dismissed—hurry up, go, go—and good luck to all of you!”
I joined the mad dash out the door, leaving my books and parchment and ink pencil on my desk. I had the shortest legs—I didn’t want to be left behind.
Luckily, all the training I’d been doing with Ryse paid off. Despite my shorter legs, I was near the middle of the pack of racing First-years, all of us clattering up the endless stairs which echoed with our frantic footfalls.
Then, just when I had reached the top of the stairs on Level Six and the golden door that led to the Hatching Grounds was in sight, something tripped me and I fell.
No one spared me a second glance—they were all too focused on getting through the door and onto the sands. The hum of the dragons that had been so faint earlier was louder now—drowning out my voice as I cried out in surprise and pain.
Then, before I knew it, someone was grabbing me by the back of my collar and dragging me down the hallway.
“What…who…” I looked around, trying to see my abductor. He had a firm grip on the back of my stiff collar though, so I couldn’t twist around. But I had a terrible feeling I knew who it was anyway.
We went through an open doorway and once we got there, the door slammed shut behind us. Looking up, I saw Chud Larson standing over me with an ugly smile on his lumpish face.
My entire body went cold. We were in what looked to be an unused classroom—there was dust on all the desks—and I was all alone with him.
“You can’t touch me!” I exclaimed, scrambling away from the big bully. “If you try to hurt me, your dragon will tell M’alex and he’ll tell Ryse!”
Larson’s smile got even wider and uglier.
“Ah, but that’s only if I’m physically hurting you,” he practically purred. “But you see, I’m not touching you, Lysandra. I’m not doing a damn thing but keeping you here.”
And then I realized what he was going to do—he was going to keep me from Impression Day!
My whole body went hot and cold and I wanted to scream. I was trembling with tension, but I tried to keep my voice low and even.
“Look, Larson, you don’t have to do this,” I told him. “I can talk to Ryse—maybe he’ll put you back on his Wing.”
“I don’t want back on his fucking Wing,” he spat, glaring at me. “I’m fine being Wingless—at least I have a dragon. Which is a hell of a lot more than you’re ever going to have, you little shit.”
My cool broke at that point and I could no longer keep my voice from trembling.
“Please, Larson, don’t do this!” I begged. “Just let me out—let me get to the Hatching Grounds.”
“Oh, I’ll let you go…once it’s too late.” He smirked at me. “Skoren is going to look like a God-damned fool—replacing me with a First-year who doesn’t have a dragon! He’s going to be sorry he ever crossed me!”
“Look, I probably won’t even get a dragon,” I begged. “We’re one short—everyone knows one of the First-years won’t get one. But I at least have to try. I can’t just not show up to Impression Day!”
“You’ll show up all right—but not until it’s too late,” he sneered.
“You can’t get away with this!” I protested.
I lunged for the door, but Larson had put himself between me and the only exit and he simply placed his back to the door and refused to move. He was too big for me to go through him. Even if he didn’t touch me, his physical bulk would keep me in the abandoned classroom until it was too late.
Frustration rushed through me as I saw how easily he had beaten me.
“Think about it,” Larson,” I said, still trying to reason with him. “People will want to know why I’m not there—why I came late. There must be penalties for keeping another cadet from Impression Day. Don’t think I won’t complain to the Head Master!”
“Complain all you want.” Larson gave a lazy shrug. “He’ll just lecture me again and I don’t give a shit about his lectures. And no matter what he says or does, you still won’t have a dragon.”
Fury suddenly replaced my fear—it rose in me so strongly my hands curled into fists of helpless rage.
“You big asshole!” I snarled. “You know the Head Master won’t actually do anything because he’s your father, isn’t he?”
His face, which had been filled with evil glee, abruptly went dark.
“Don’t you say that!” he snapped. “I got to the Academy on my own merits!”
“Right,” I said dryly. “And that’s why you failed the entrance examination twice. But they let you in anyway, didn’t they? Because your daddy is the Head Master.”
I was deliberately baiting him now—trying to get him to attack me. It was a risky strategy, but also the only way I could think of to get Ryse here to help me. Screw standing on my own two feet—I needed a way to get out of this classroom!
“You little shit—you better shut your mouth!” Larson’s lumpy face was purple with rage. “I come from a long line of dragon riders!”
“Yes, the Head Master is from a Great House, isn’t he?” I said coolly. “But what surprises me is that he’s riding a Gold-wing and you only impressed a common Green. How did that happen? Maybe his bloodlines aren’t as strong he thought when he got his mistress pregnant with you.”
This seemed to be more than Larson could bear. With a roar, he rushed me and for a split second, I considered just standing there and letting him hit me so Ryse would come. But Larson was in a killing mood now—there might not be anything left of me by the time the North Wing Leader arrived.
At the last minute, I side-stepped his charge and ran for the door. I was praying it wasn’t locked and either the God or the Goddess must have heard my prayer because the knob turned in my sweaty palm and I was out of the classroom and off down the long stone hallway like a shot.
I heard Larson right behind me, screaming that I was a little shit and I would pay, but I put on a burst of speed, thanking Ryse in my head for his strict training as I did.
It was a close race. I could feel him panting at my back and several times he grabbed for me, and I felt his thick fingers sliding over the back of my uniform jacket. But every time I managed to put on just a little more speed until I pulled ahead of him.
At last after what could only be a minute or two but felt like eternity, the golden door to the Hatching Grounds was in sight. Feeling like my lungs might collapse and my legs might give way from sheer exhaustion, I reached for the knob and tore open the door.
Then I collapsed inside, panting, knowing that Larson couldn’t reach me here. If he tried anything on the holy ground of the Hatching Sands, he’d be kicked out of the Academy—dragon or no dragon.
Sure enough, though the golden door on its hinges rattled behind me, it didn’t open again. I could hear his angry panting through the wooden panel, but he didn’t dare to pursue me.
At last I turned to survey the scene in front of me. Surely, I wasn’t too late, I thought. Larson had only managed to delay me for five minutes—ten minutes tops. Surely there would still be some eggs left, looking for a rider.
But when I looked around, I saw that every single First-year I knew was already standing by an egg.
Some were stroking the colorful shells and others were humming or talking to the drakelings inside.
A few were even crouched in the heated sands with their arms around their egg, heedless of the heat burning their legs.
Master Yarsmouth walked over to me with a regretful look on his face.
“I’m sorry, lad,” he said. “They’re all spoken for. Where were you earlier? I’m afraid there’s not a single egg left.”